Unique Southern Gospel Lyrics

There are words that permeate southern gospel lyrics. How many songs do you know about the cross, heaven, the empty tomb, God’s love…the list goes on and on. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that; the central themes of the Gospel need to be broadcast more than anything else.

But there are times when we listen to a song and a word pops up that just seems unusual. Indeed, there are songs whose lyrics contain words that may not be found in any other southern gospel song. That is the subject of today’s light-hearted and fun post.

Here’s a list of words that I’ve heard in various southern gospel songs. I suspect there may be only one song that has them, though I could very well be missing others. For how many of them can you identify the song? Tell us in the comments!

(answers for those that have been guessed correctly)

pneumonia – Excuses, “pneumonia, I suppose!”

garlic – I’ve Passed Over Into Canaanland, “never gonna long for the leeks and garlic”

scum – After the Sunrise, “love-light will banish sin’s vapors like scum”

dope – Who But God, “set an addict free from dope” AND Just Thinking Out Loud (recitation), “to some it’s dope or anything for a friend”

slippers – Two Shoes, “two shoes, Sunday slippers”

glued – Get Away Jordan, “tongue glued to the roof of my mouth”

gopher – Noah Found Grace in the Eyes of the Lord, “get some sturdy gopher wood”

moonshine – New Wine, “It’s not from moonshine, but it comes from sunshine”

civil rights – The Last Sunday, “about social action, war, and civil rights” (is that right? my memory is foggy)

villains – Build an Ark, “I’m tired of all the villains, tired of all the killin'”

salvación – Mexico, the Spanish part at the end

HBO – Good Good News, “all 100 channels, HBO and Pay-per-View”

CNN – I’m Not Worried About Forever, “the things He said are playin’ out each night on CNN” AND It Has Always Been the Soldier, “it’s not CBS or NBC, ABC or CNN”

This one was great fun, Brian. Two things. First of all, “After the Sunrise” is in the Heavenly Highways hymnal which is still revered at my little church. When my dear brother was pastor, he also lead the choir, and he loved to do this song. He loved that line, “even the clannish together will hum”, and he always told me he thought whoever wrote that song must have pastored some churches somewhere along the way! Second, Ronny Hinson is the hero to those of us who say this about him: No one will go as far out lyrically as Ronny, and he makes it work! He and I were talking once about how hard it is to find good words to rhyme with “God”, and he told he he once used “squad”… “firing squad”. He’s just wonderful!!!! I was so happy to see so many guessed the right answers. Gospel music fans do listen, God bless us every one! Dianne.